Melissa Mathison, screenwriter of E.T., dies at age 65

Melissa Mathison, screenwriter of E.T., dies at age 65

Steven Spielberg had the idea, but it was Melissa Mathison who wrote the story.

Mathison, whose screenplay for E.T.: The Extra-Terrestial was nominated for an Academy Award, has died at the age of 65 after suffering an unconfirmed illness. Along with her career as a screenwriter, she was notably married to Harrison Ford for 21 years before they divorced in 2004. They had two children together.

Spielberg said of his departed collaborator, “Melissa had a heart that shined with generosity and love, and burned as bright as the heart she gave E.T.” Speaking of the script she wrote for him, Spielberg said in a Special Edition DVD interview, “Melissa delivered this 107-page first draft to me and I read it in about an hour. I was just knocked out. It was a script I was willing to shoot the next day. It was so honest, and Melissa’s voice made a direct connection with my heart.”

Perhaps fittingly, Mathison’s final produced screenplay will be seen next summer in Spielberg’s next film, The BFG, based on a book by children’s author Roald Dahl.